The Meaning of Freedom
Rav Mendy Stern, Shlit”a
Chazal mandated many activities and laws throughout the night of the Seder, in order for us to feel like בני חורין, people who are free. We are required to drink four cups of wine. In addition we must lean while eating the matzah and drinking the four cups of wine. We eat vegetables with a dip twice during the seder, once for Karpas, and once for Maror. All of this is done in order to engender within us a feeling of חירות, freedom.
Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. We get caught up in the details of the performance of the mitzvah, and we might miss the experience of חירות that we are supposed to achieve. I think it would be a good idea for us to step back before we start the Seder and reflect on the meaning of חירות, and how we should feel special and ennobled on this night. This hopefully will help us to attain the mood and the mindset that Chazal wanted us to have on this night.
The Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisroel, Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg Zt”l gave us a profound insight into the meaning of חירות. The Rosh Yeshiva pointed out that Pesach is unique among all other Yamim Tovim in that there are specific Torah laws that apply specifically to Erev Yom Tov, the day before Pesach. The most obvious one is the actual Korban Pesach, the korban for which the holiday is named, which is brought on the afternoon of the 14th of Nissan, Erev Pesach.
Even nowadays when we are unable to offer the Korban Pesach, we are still affected by it. A day in which a Jew offers a korban takes on the status of a Yom Tov. Since all Jews were obligated to offer the Korban Pesach, most work is forbidden after midday. One cannot cut nails or take a haircut after midday for that very reason. Of course, Chametz is also forbidden starting from midday.
Rav Weinberg explained that by starting the laws of Pesach on Erev Yom Tov, the Torah is teaching us the significance of preparation when it comes to reaping the spiritual benefits of the Yom Tov of Pesach. While it is advantageous and worthwhile to prepare spiritually before every Yom Tov, preparation is integral to capturing the meaning of Pesach. If one fails to prepare beforehand, he will be unable to access the true spiritual benefits of the Yom Tov of Pesach.
To appreciate what it is about Pesach that is so unique, Rav Weinberg posed a fundamental question about one of the very names of Pesach. We refer to Pesach in our davening as זמן חירותינו, the season of our freedom. Of course, we mean that Pesach is the time when we stopped being slaves to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Could it not be argued, though, that “freedom” is the wrong term for us to use? In truth, all we did was change masters, going from slaves to Pharoh to being servants of Hashem. What exactly do we mean when we refer to Pesach as the time of our freedom?
The Rosh Yeshiva explained the fundamental difference between a slave and a free person. A slave has no ability to make any meaningful decisions. His very time is not his own, and must be used according to the dictates of his master. A free person on the other hand is master of his own destiny, and is free to choose what to do at any given moment. The Jews at the time of יציאת מצרים received the gift of בחירה, free choice. Although we are now bound to the service of Hashem, and are, in fact, required to make the correct choices, the choices are nevertheless ours to make. Our actions are not imposed upon us as they are imposed upon slaves. This, then, is the freedom that we achieved on Pesach, the ability to make choices.
This truth goes even deeper. Now that we can choose, we are held responsible for our choices, and therefore our choices have meaningful impact. As the Mesilas Yesharim says in the first chapter, when a Jew chooses positively, he lifts himself spiritually and lifts the whole world with him. If he chooses incorrectly he falls and drags the rest of the world with him. The power to choose, and the correspondingly monumental impact of our choices was given to us by זמן חירותינו.
This is the meaning of the mishnah in Pirkei Avos (Avos 6:2), אין לך בן חורין אלא מי שעוסק בתלמוד תורה, “No one is free except one who learns Torah.” Freedom means the ability to make choices, but choosing without knowledge is like flipping a coin; it cannot be considered a choice. Only one who has learned Torah, and knows what is a truly positive choice, is equipped to make an informed decision, a meaningful choice. Only such a person can be called truly free.
We can now understand the imperative of spending time in preparation before Pesach. A person who doesn’t live with understanding of the responsibility and consequences which go along with חירות cannot really be said to be making choices. He doesn’t appreciate the necessity of carefully scrutinizing each action to ensure the proper choice, because he doesn’t understand the impact his choice will have.
The Yom Tov of Pesach specifically demands that we spend time thinking about our כח הבחירה, our ability to choose right from wrong, and understanding the responsibility that comes with it. Without that preparation, we will not properly utilize the great gift of חירות, aka choice, that we were given on Pesach. Without contemplating the meaning and responsibility of freedom, we are not truly free.
Rav Weinberg’s words create a new imperative for us. חירות is the gift of בחירה, that which separates us from the rest of creation, and makes us better than animals. It is the knowledge that our actions, thoughts and speech matter. It is an extremely empowering feeling, albeit a sobering one. If we take time to think about how special we are, that we make a difference, we can indeed feel like בני חורין, nobles and free men. We are those whose actions are meaningful; leaders and not followers.
Of course, these feelings should accompany us the entire Yom Tov, indeed for our entire lives, not just the Seder night. However on the night of the Seder, when this gift was first granted us, we have the unique ability to internalize it, and to thank and praise Hashem for giving it to us. May we all merit to utilize this Yom Tov of Pesach to recognize the immense significance of our choices; of who we are as בני חורין.
